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Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has outlined a new roadmap to scale Ethereum’s base layer while preparing the network for long-term cryptographic shifts. In a detailed post on X, he said Ethereum can raise transaction capacity without harming stability. He also mapped out a gradual move toward advanced zero-knowledge proofs and expanded data “blobs.” The proposal follows the Ethereum Foundation’s recently published straw map aimed at long-term efficiency.
Buterin said Ethereum can increase throughput by making blocks easier and faster to verify. Upcoming upgrades will let Ethereum computers review different parts of a block at the same time. Instead of checking transactions step by step, nodes will process data in parallel.
At the same time, changes to block construction will allow the network to use more of each 12-second slot. As of now, blocks often finish early due to safety margins. The proposed shift, known as ePBS, will arrive in the upcoming Glamsterdam upgrade. This adjustment will let Ethereum use more of its processing window.
As a result, Ethereum should fit more transactions into each block without raising instability risks. Buterin said these changes will expand capacity while maintaining network safety. The focus now shifts back to strengthening the base layer after years of reliance on layer-2 rollups.
Beyond throughput, Buterin proposed changes to how Ethereum calculates transaction fees, known as gas. He argued that not all activity burdens the network equally. Temporary computing use differs from permanent data storage.
Currently, Ethereum bundles these costs together. Yet deploying new contracts or adding permanent data increases the blockchain’s long-term size. Every node must store that data forever. Over time, that growth raises the cost of running a node.
Buterin’s proposal would separate these costs more clearly. Long-term storage would become more expensive. Meanwhile, everyday transaction processing could gain more room. This shift would help Ethereum handle more activity without sharply accelerating blockchain growth. It would also reduce the risk of smaller operators exiting due to rising storage demands.
The broader aim targets network accessibility. Ethereum could process more transactions while avoiding a future where only large entities can afford participation.
Looking further ahead, Buterin described a stronger reliance on zero-knowledge proofs and expanded blob capacity. Blobs first helped layer-2 networks post data at a lower cost. In time, Ethereum could move its own transaction data into blobs.
That shift would change how validators confirm activity. Instead of re-running every transaction, validators could rely on cryptographic proofs. This approach would reduce computational load while preserving verification.
Buterin also addressed long-term cryptographic risks. Quantum computers capable of breaking current encryption remain years away. Still, the roadmap identifies four vulnerable areas: consensus BLS signatures, KZG-based data availability, ECDSA for wallets, and certain zero-knowledge proofs such as Groth16 and KZG.
Read More: Vitalik Buterin Says 2026 Will Restore ETH’s Trustless Foundations
The proposal would replace them with quantum-resistant tools. These include hash-based signatures, STARK-based proofs and aggregation, and native account abstraction. The goal centers on resilience against threats like Shor’s algorithm, which could expose private keys or disrupt consensus.
Even if quantum risks arrive sooner than expected, Buterin said Ethereum would continue operating. Finality guarantees might weaken temporarily, yet the chain would not halt. Hash-based and STARK systems would increase proof sizes and gas costs at first. Signatures could require around 200,000 gas compared to 3,000 for ECDSA. STARK proofs could reach 10 million gas without aggregation.
Can Ethereum expand capacity while safeguarding decentralization and future security at the same time?
Vitalik Buterin’s plan outlines a near-term path to higher Ethereum capacity through faster block validation and gas reform. It also sets a longer-term course for Ethereum blobs, zero-knowledge proofs, and quantum-resistant cryptography. The roadmap aims to scale Ethereum without weakening decentralization.
